Planetary inserter mechanism



Sept. 8, 1959 H. w. FAEBER PLANETARY INSERTER MECHANISM 5 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed Nov. 21, 1955 INVENTOR. HARRY W. FAEBER Sept. 8, 1959 H. w. FAEBERPLANETARY INSERTER MECHANISM 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 21, 1955 aw m 8u W F IV mw Y R R A H in: 47702/VEV5'.

Sept. 8, 1959 H. W. FAEBER PLANETARY INSERTER MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 5Filed Nov. 21, 1955 INVENTOR. HARRY W. FAEBER United States PatentPLANETARY INSERTER MECHANISM Harry W. Faeber, Larchmont, N.Y., assign'orto Time, Incorporated, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New YorkApplication November 21, 1955, Serial No. 547,935

13 Claims. (Cl. 270-54) This invention relates to sheet collating andinserter systems wherein printed signatures are stacked in a bin anddelivered, one at a time, onto a moving conveyor in straddling fashion,that is to say, with the folded edge of the signature across the top ofthe conveyor and the leaves of the signature hanging downwardly onopposite sides thereof. In systems of this general organization, theconveyor receives a plurality of signatures from different collating orinserter mechanisms, one at a time and one above the other, and in thismanner a book is compiled on the moving conveyor ready for stitching orbinding.

More specifically, the present invention relates to an improvedmechanism for withdrawing the signatures one at a time from a storagebin or hopper and for delivering the signatures in straddling fashion onthe moving conveyor. In the mechanism of the present invention, aplurality of gripper carriers is transported in a major orbital path inproximity to the discharge end of the hopper in which the signatures arestored. While travelling in a major orbital path, the gripper carriersare driven in a planetary orbit. As a particular gripper carrierapproaches the discharge end of the hopper, the grippers carried therebyare opened, and the folded edge or.

backbone of the sheet is drawn by suction into the open grippers. Thegrippers then close on the edge of the signature, and the signature iscarried by the grippers along the planetary orbit While the grippercarrier itself is translated along the major orbital path to deliver thesignature to the conveyor.

An auxiliary gripper carrier is stationed in proximity to the majororbital path along which the planetary gripper carriers are translated,and as the planetary gripper carrier passes in proximity to theauxiliary gripper carrier, the folded edge or backbone of the signatureis transferred from the grippers of the planetary gripper carrier tothegrippers of the auxiliary carrier. The grippers of the auxiliarycarrier to which the folded edge of the signature is delivered transportthe signature in a fixed path relative to the moving conveyor and,

meanwhile, the body portion of the signature is guided by the planetarygripper carrier toward a pair of sheet engaging members which travel inorbital paths on opposite sides of the conveyor. The grippers of thesecarriers each engage one of the leaves of the signature and pull therespective leaves downwardly on opposite sides of a saddle disposedabove the moving conveyor. The folded edge or backbone ultimately iswithdrawn from the grippers of the auxiliary carrier, and the foldededge is pulled downwardly onto the saddle in straddling fashion. Whenthe signature is properly assembled on the saddle, the leaves of thesignature are released, and the signature is subsequently slideablydischarged from the saddle onto the conveyor in a well known manner.

Although other inserter mechanisms have been proposed for deliveringsignatures in straddling fashion to a moving conveyor, such as themechanism shown and described in my co-pending application, Serial No.442,149,

the same'end of the hopper.

2,03,260 Patented Sept. 8, 1959 "ice filed July 8, 1954, the mechanismof the present invention affords a highly unique arrangement wherein thesignatures may be removed from the hopper one at a time in rapidsuccession and the signature positively handled throughout the entireoperation.

For a complete understanding of the present invention, reference may behad to the detailed description which follows and to the accompanyingdrawings in which:

Figs. 1, 2 and 3 are side elevational views of certain of the parts ofthe present invention showing the manner in which a signature iswithdrawn from the hopper and handled at various stages prior to itsdelivery to the conveyor;

Fig. 4 is a general side elevational view of the apparatus of thepresent invention, illustrating still a further step in the handling ofthe signature;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged side elevational view showing the auxiliarygripper carrier in greater detail; and

Fig. 6 is a cross section view taken substantially along the line 6-6 ofFig. 5, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the drawings and particularly to Fig. 4, signatures s arestacked by hand or in any suitable manner in a hopper 10. Beneath thehopper, a plurality of rotating gripper-carrying cylinders 11 aretransported in a circular orbital path by a pair of discs 12. rotatablymounted on a shaft 14. The shafts 15 of each of the.

gripper carrying cylinders 11 are supported at opposite ends between thediscs 12.

While the cylinders 11 are transported in an orbital path by the discsabout the axis of the shaft 14, the cylinders are independently rotatedby means of the engagement of gears 16 mounted on the shafts 15 with theteeth formed on the inner periphery of a large stationary internal gear17.

Each of the planetary cylinders 11 carries at its periphery one or moregrippers 18 pivotally mounted on a common shaft 19. The grippers 18 areadapted to be opened and closed by cams.

As each of the planetary cylinders 11 approaches the lower discharge endof the hopper 10, the grippers carried by the cylinder open, and thefolded edge or backbone of the signature is drawn into the open gripperby suction through radially disposed conduits 13. The signatures, ofcourse, are previously stacked in the hopper in such fashion that thefolded edges thereof are all at The grippers 18 close on the folded edgeof the signature, and as the cylinder 11 driven by the internal gear 17rotates in a clockwise direction about its own axis, the signature ispeeled from the bottom of the hopper and wound around the surface of thecylinder 11.

ferred from the grippers 18to one of'the clips 25. There.

ders 11 to prevent the trailing edges of the signature from falling awayfrom the surface of the cylinder 11 as the signature is wound about thecylinder.

A cylinder 22 comprising two or more discs which are rotatably mountedon a shaft 24 is mounted in proximity to the path of travel of theplanetary gripper cylinders 11. The cylinder 22 carries a pluralityofauxiliary grippers or clips 25 equally spaced around the outerperiphery thereof, and the folded edge of the signature is transmay, ofcourse, be a plurality of clips 25 spaced longitudinally of the cylinder22 to engage a single signature. The broken line 27 represented in Fig.2 traces the path of travel of the folded edge of the signature from thetime that it is engaged by the gripper 18 to the time that it isdelivered to one of the clips 25.

The clip-carrying cylinder 22 is best shown in Figs. and 6. The shaft 24which supports the cylinder is rotatably mounted Within bearings 30 ofsupporting bracket 31. Each of the clips 25 comprises a pair of fingerelement's 25a supported on a common shaft 33, and a plurality of suchshafts 33 is pivotally mounted in each of the discs comprising thecylinder 22 at equally spaced intervals near the outer periphery of thediscs. The clips are supported on the pivotal shafts 33, one eachadjacent the inside faces of the discs, and none, one or more inbetween,

The finger elements 25a of one of the clips 25 are urged closed by acompression spring 35 interposed between the inoperative ends of thefinger elements on the opposite side of the pivot shaft 33 from theoperative ends thereof. The compression spring 35 is supported on theshank of a screw 36 and an adjustable locking nut 37 threadably receivedby the end of the screw determines the minimum gap between the operativeends of the finger elements 25a.

The extreme ends of each of the pivotal shafts 33 extend outboard of thediscs comprising the cylinder 22, and theend of the shaft carries an arm38 fixed thereto having a roller or cam follower 39 at the end thereof.The shaft- 33 is pivotally urged by means of a torsion spring 40 carriedon the shaft 33 in a direction to maintain the cam follower roller 39 incontact with the surface of a stationary cam 41 mounted on thesupporting bracket 31.

The clips 25 are carried tangentially to the periphery of the cylinder22 prior to receiving a signature from the grippers 18 of a cylinder 11.This disposition of the clips 25 is determined by the engagement of thecam follower rollers 39 with the raised surface of the cam 41. Thus, asbest shown in Fig. 5, the clip is substantially tangentially disposedwith respect to both the cylinder 22 and the planetary cylinder 11 atthe point at which the folded edge of the signature is presented to theclip 25. p

The grippers 18 remain closed on the leading edge of the signature whilethe folded edge thereof is inserted between the spring-pressed fingerelements 25a, and the grippers 18 draw the folded edge of the signatureinto registered contact with a pin 44 carried by one of the fingerelements 25a of each of the clips 25. The registering pins 44 of each ofthe clips engaging the signature thus will square up the leading edge ofthe signature.

The clips 25 serve as auxiliary grippers which hold the folded edge ofthe signature while the continued rotation of the planetary cylinder 11about its own axis and the translation of the cylinder about the axis ofthe shaft 1'4 unrolls the body of the signature toward a pair ofsheetengaging members 48, one of which is carried by achain 49 and theother of which is carried by the drum.

A plurality of the sheet-engaging members 48 are car ried in" an orbitalpath by the chain 49 which passesaround sprockets 50, and thesesheet-engaging membersmove in synchronism with the sheet-engagingmembers carried by and spaced around the drum. Thus, after the signatureis fully unrolled by the rotation of the planetary cylinder 11, theedges of each of the leaves of the signature are presented to andengaged by one of the sheetengaging members 48. These sheet-engagingmembers pull the leaves of the signature downwardly on opposite sides ofa saddle 52 (see Fig. 4) which is disposed' immediately above the movingconveyor upon which the signatures are to be delivered in straddlingfashion.

Meanwhile, as shown in Fig. 5, the cam follow'er roller 39 of the clip25 towhich the folded edge of the signature has been delivered comesinto contact with a depression 41a in the surface of the cam- 41, andthe clip 25 is pivoted in a counter-clockwise direction by the spring40'.

4 Different positions of the clip are represented in phantom lines inFig. 5.

When the leaves of the signature have been positively engaged by thesheet-engaging members 48, the downward movement of the chains whichcarry the sheet-engaging members will withdraw the folded edge of thesignature from between the spring-pressed finger elements 25a of theclip 25 and pull the sig 'iia'tiir'e in straddling fashion upon thesaddle 52. The sheet-engaging members 48 will release the leaves of thesignature when the signature is properly seated thereon. The signatureremains'seated on the saddle 52 in straddling fashion until it isslideably removed therefrom by pocket fdrlnin'g partitions of the movingconveyor; The operation of the sheet-engaging members 48 and the removalof the signature from the saddle onto the conveyor is disclosed in myabove-mentioned co-pending application.

It may be noted that in the preferred errihodiiiient of the inventionthe cam follower roller 39 leaves the surface of the cam 41 throughoutthe portion of the rotation of the cylinder 22 represented by the angle56 in Fig. 5. Thus, the clip 25 assumes its maximum counterclockwiseposition during this portion of the cyle of rotation. Thereafter, thecam followe'r roller 39 engages the raised surface 41b of the cam 41,pivoting the clip in a clockwise direction to return it to a positiontangential with respect to the outer periphery of the cylinder 22 priorto receiving another signature.

The invention has been shown and described in a single preferred formand by way of example only, and obviously many variations andmodifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit ofthe invention. The invention, therefore, is not to be limited to anyspecified form or embodiment,- except insofar as such limitations areset forth in the claims;

I claim:

1 In a mechanism for handling folded signatures and delivering them instraddling fashion to signature-receiving means, a gripper carrier,means for transportingthe gripper carrier in an orbital path,- means fordriving said gripper" carrier in a planetary orbital path,- ahopper forstoring aplurality of signatures therein, the discharge end of saidhopper being in proximity to the orbital paths followed by the grippercarrier, at gripper transported by said carrier for engaging the foldededge of a signature and advancing the folded edge of the signature alongits planetary orbital path, means for receiving the folded edge of thesignature front the ri per of said carrier moving in a planetary orbit,a pair of sheet-engaging members movable in orbital paths on" oppositesides of the means for receiving the signature in straddling fashionthereon, the continued movement of the gripper carrier guiding the bodyof the signature toward said sheet-engaging members, the sheet-engagingmembers receiving the leaves ofthe signature and movement of thesheet-engaging members pulling the leavesof the signature downwardly onopposite sides of the signature reeeivin means in straddling fashionthereon after the folded edge of the signature is released by the saidmeans for receiving the folded edge of the signature from the grippersof the gripper carrier.

2. In the mechanism for handling folded signatures set forth in claim 1,including a plurality of the said gripper carriers transported along a"common orbital path and guide means closely spaced to each of theplanetary orbital paths followedby' the gripper carfiers for' guidingthe signature received by' thegripper carrier.-

3. In the mechanism for handling folded signatures set forth in claim 2,including a plurality of follr's carried by said means for transport-ingthe grippe carriers" in an orbital path, said rollers being disposedbetween adjacent gripper carriers andrnak ing rollifig contact-With thelowermost signature thehdpp'er,-thereby' supportin the pile of signaturesin the hopperl v '4. In the mechanism for handling folder signatures setforth in claim 1 wherein the means for receiving the folded edge of thesignature from the gripper of the gripper carrier comprises a carrierand a signature-receiving clip transported by said carrier.

5. In a mechanism for handling folded signatures, a hopper for storing aplurality of signatures therein, a plurality of planetary rotatablecylinders arranged in circular array, means for supporting the planetarycylinders and transporting them in an orbital path, a stationaryinternal gear for imparting rotation to said planetary cylinders abouttheir own axes, a gripper carried by each of said planetary cylinders,said gripper engaging the folded edge of a signature within the hopperand winding said signature about its periphery as it is translated in anorbital path and rotated about its axis, means for receiving the foldededge of the signature from the gripper of the planetary cylinder and forholding the folded edge thereof while the continued rotation of thecylinder about its own axis and the movement of its axis in an orbitalpath unwinds the body of the signature, and sheet-engagi-ng means forreceiving the leaves of the signature thus unwound.

6. In the mechanism for handling folded signatures set forth in claim 5wherein the means for receiving the folded edge of the signature fromthe gripper of the planetary cylinder and for holding the folded edge ofthe signature while the planetary cylinder unwinds the body of thesignature comprises a carrier and a springclosed clip transported bysaid carrier in an orbital path.

7. In the mechanism for handling folded signatures set forth in claim 6,means for pivotally mounting said springclosed clip to said carrier, andcam means for controlling the pivotal movement of the spring-closedclip.

8. in the mechanism for handling folded signatures set forth in claim 6wherein the spring-closed clip comprises a plurality of finger elementsspring-urged to closed position and registering means carried by atleast one of said finger elements for receiving the folded edge of thesignature in registered contact therewith.

9. A method of handling folded signatures and delivering them instraddling fashion to signature-receiving means comprising the steps ofgripping the folded edge of a signature stored in a hopper, winding thebody of the signature about a rotating cylinder, the axis of which istransported in an orbital path, whereby the signature is carried fromthe hopper toward the signature-receiving means, transferring the foldededge of the signature to an auxiliary gripper, unrolling the signaturefrom the cylinder while the folded edge thereof is held by the auxiliarygripper, moving the auxiliary gripping means in an orbital path engagingeach of the leaves of the signature, and pulling the leaves of thesignature across the signature-receiving means in straddling fashion andat the same time withdrawing the folded edge of the signature from theauxiliary gripper.

10. In a mechanism for handling folded signatures and delivering them instraddling fashion to signature-receiving means, a hopper for receivinga plurality of signatures, a rotating cylinder, gripping means carriedby said rotating cylinder, means for transporting the axis of saidcylinder in an orbital path, said path being in proximity to thedischarge end of the hopper whereby the folded edge of the bottom sheetin the hopper is received by the gripping means and the signature woundabout the rotating cylinder as the signature is withdrawn from thehopper, auxiliary gripping means, means for transporting said auxiliarygripping means in an orbital path, the folded edge of the signaturebeing transferred from the gripping means carried by the rotatablecylinder to the auxiliary gripping means, and means for separating theleaves of the signature while the folded edge is held by said auxiliarygripping means in preparation for delivering the signature in straddlingfashion to the signature-receiving means.

11. An apparatus for handling folded signatures and delivering them instraddling fashion to a signature receiving means comprising a hopperfor receiving a plurality of signatures, a gripping means for receivingthe folded edge of a signature from the hopper, a carrier fortransporting the gripping means in an orbital path to Wind the signaturethereon, means for transporting the carrier in an orbital path betweenthe hopper and a point at which the signature is delivered by thegripping means, and auxiliary gripping means for receiving the foldededge of the signature from the above-mentioned gripping means andholding the folded edge while the leaves of the signature are parted inpreparation for delivering the signature in straddling fashion to thesignature receiving means.

12. An apparatus as set forth in claim 11, including a carrier fortransporting the auxiliary gripping means in an orbital path, thesignature being transferred from the gripping means to the auxiliarygripping means at a point at which their respective paths cross.

13. An apparatus for handling folded signatures and delivering them instraddling fashion to a signature-receiving means comprising grippingmeans for engaging an edge of a signature fed thereto, means fortransporting the gripping means in an orbital path from the point atwhich the signature is received by the gripping means to a point atwhich the signature is delivered thereby, auxiliary gripping means toreceive the folded edge of the signature from the gripping means, acarrier for transporting the auxiliary means in an orbital path, meansfor pivotally mounting the auxiliary gripping means on said carrier, cammeans to impart a predetermined pivotal movement to said auixilarygripping means while it is gripping the folded edge of the signature asit is transported in an orbital path by the carrier, and means forseparating the leaves of the signature in preparation for deliveringthem in straddling fashion to the signaturereceiving means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,219,608 Ackley Oct. 29, 1940 2,279,269 Tornberg Apr. 7. 1942 2,279,270Tornberg Apr. 7, 1942 2,413,358 Kleineberg Dec. 31, 1946 2,568,604Bechberger Sept. 18, 1951

